People go over their heads on some archeological sites over a few thousands year old.
But in India, there are sites which are over A Million year old in India, like the one in Pallavaram Chennai.
Arunachal Mountain, Pre Historic Conception.
Arunachala, Google Earth.’
‘Archaeologists have discovered India’s oldest stone-age tools, up to 1.5 million years old, at a prehistoric site near Chennai. The discovery may change existing ideas about the earliest arrival of human ancestors from Africa into India…
‘Archaeological research has uncovered evidence of fossil remains of animals and primitive stone implements around the northern Tamil Nadu that could be dated to belong to around 3000,000 BCE.[citation needed]Humans in South India,
Tamil quotes Vedas and they in turn quote Tamil.These two are so interwoven it is difficult to determine which is earlier.
The presence of Sanatana Dharma in the Dravida Desa, that is south of the Vindhyas seem to be earlier than the one in the north.
Please read my Post on this.
The archeological finds, the temples in South India confirm this view.
Of the many tools to date the monuments, sites,Banded Iron Formation(BIF), of analysing the rock formation is one.
The other reliable tools include Astronomy,Carbon Dating,Etymology and of course Archeology.
The Arunachala Mountain in Tamil Nadu, this is also called Thiruvannamalai.
This mountain is referred to in the Puranas, a quote is provided below.
The Ithihasas, Ramayana and Mahabharata are old, they quote the Puranas, which are older.
And ancient Tamil Language also quote the Purans.
So the Puarans are ancient History.
This Purana states that the Arunachala is ancient!
Skanda Purana on Thiruvannamalai.
‘Geological experiments in and around Tiuvannamalai have revealed that the rock (charnokite) which makes up Arunachala covering is older than 3.5 billion years old ( Geological Survey of India) and
Banded Iron formations around Tiruvannamalai area are thought to be about 3 billion years old.
(Mineralogy and chemistry of banded iron formations (BIF) of Tiruvannamalai area, Tamil Nadu,Journal of Earth System Science,Volume 98, Number 2 / July, 1989.)
It is thus evident that even scientific conclusions do place Arunachala Age to be beyond 3.5 billion years and perhaps the range would be 4.4 to 3.5 billion years old.
Why there are no temples discovered in Indus Valley and Sarasvati Valley?
If what has been written in the Puranas about Hindu Gods is true why is it that the Temples dedicated to Gods are not found in these ancient sites?
This is the gist of comments I have been receiving on the Temples of India and the history of Sanatana Dharma.
Angkor Vat Temple.
A Sample.
‘Then why does the harappan people worship only mother goddess and peepal tree.Why didnt they construct any temples.’
I shall reply on Mother Goddess and Peepal Tree in another Post.
The Vedas do not sanction group or community worship.
It does not believe in institutionalizing Religion.
Religion , according to the Vedas is intensely personal.
It does not believe in numbers game for the Religion.
And In Hinduism there is no such thing called Super Natural.
Every thing is natural.
Any thing we call us super natural by the others is only Natural, being a part of Nature and the most the Puranas would go about in describing them is ‘wonderful,astonishing”, ‘Aascharyam’ ,that’s all.
Every thing was taken as Natural.
So every thing including the exploits of Rama and Krishna were taken as part of exhibition of valour and though people considered Rama and Krishna as super Heroes even during their times, no body was in awe of them and people, even ordinary one at that, would challenge them.
Take the instance of a washer-man commenting on Rama’s acceptance of Sita after she was brought back from Lanka!
They were treated as humans while they lived though revered.
And since people of that era were able to acquire powers by penance the ability to travel t will to various planes of existence and other powers which we call now as super natural today, they were not over awed by the exploits of these Gods.
What they have been taught is that any one can attain these powers by character, penance and above all realizing The Self.
These extra qualities acquired are but impediments to the ultimate Goal of Realizing the Self.
The Vedas are for self-realization and as such calls for personal upliftment.
So they did not build any temples for the Gods.
But the Gods were propitiated by Yajnyas and Homas.
Hence there is no evidence of temples in Harappa, SaraswathiValley.
Some references are found about Temples for Mother Goddess.
I am researching into this and shall share the information.
And there is no sanction about building temples in the Vedas, no word about temples at all.
The construction of Temples came later, inspired by the Agamas, which are post-Vedic.
However the oldest temple in the world , on record to-day, is found in Tamil Nadu.
‘The Subrahmanya Temple at Saluvankuppam, Tamil Nadu, is a shrine dedicated to the Hindu deity Murugan. Archaeologists believe that the shrine, unearthed in 2005, consists of two layers: a brick temple constructed during the Sangam period (the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD) and a granite Pallava temple dating from the 8th century AD and constructed on top of the brick shrine. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team which conducted the excavation believe that brick temple could be the oldest of its kind to be discovered in Tamil Nadu. However, noted Indian archaeologist R. Nagaswamy is critical of this claim owing to lack of references to the shrine in the popular literature of the period.’
The temple of Angkor vat and Changu Narayan temple came later
‘The Agamas are non-vedic in origin [4] and have been dated either as post-vedic texts or as pre-vedic compositions. In theMalay language the word Agama literally means ‘religion’. Agama traditions have been the sources of Yoga and Self Realization concepts in the Indian subcontinent, including Kundalini Yoga and encompass traditions of asceticism. Tantrism includes within its fold Buddhist and Jaina tantras suggesting that Hindu, Jaina and Buddhist tantrism developed separately after arising from common sources of Tantric elements. The Agamic tradition, in general, has been dated to the pre-Mauryan period as references to the tradition are found in later vedic literature of Atharvaveda.’
‘The pagoda style temple has several masterpieces of 5th and 12th century Nepalese art. According to legends Changu Narayan temple existed as early as 325 A.D. in the time of Licchavi King Hari Datta Verma and it is one of Nepal’s richest structures historically as well as artistically. In the grounds there is a stone pillar inscription of great importance recording the military exploits of King Man Deva who reigned from 496 A.D. to 524 A.D. The first epigraphic evidence of Nepalese history found in the temple premises during the reign of the Licchavi King Mandeva dating back to 464 A.D. shows that Changu had already been established as a sacred site in the 3rd century A.D. It is the earliest inscription known in Nepal. The temple was restored during the lifetime of Ganga Rani, consort of Siva Simha Malla who reigned from 1585 to 1614.’
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According to one legend, the construction of Angkor Wat was ordered by Indra to act as a palace for his son Precha Ket Mealea. According to the 13th century Chinese travelerDaguan Zhou, it was believed by some that the temple was constructed in a single night by a divine architect.
The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king’s state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as “Varah Vishnu-lok” after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king’s death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished.[6] In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometers to the north.
The construction of these temples, with stones in an area where no stones or Mountains were available is a testimony to the fact that the ancient knew quarrying and more importantly transporting heavy materials like a single stone of nearly 180 tons to the roof of the temple which is 216 feet in the year 1000 AD.
It is the Thanjavur Brhadeeswara Temple in Tamil Nadu.
There are temples where the rays of the Sun touch the idol at the sanctum on a particular day of the year.
1000 pillars Halls, Stone pillars producing the Seven Notes of the Carnatic Music, cave temples ..the list is endless.
The cities were laid out in a systematic pattern in south India.
In the Centre was a temple, with a Pond.
The city was surrounded by square-shaped streets around the temple complex, all the streets leading to the Temple.
This can be seen in many temples in many cities of Tamil Nadu, notable examples being Madurai, Sri Rangam Srivilliputhur, Chidambaram.
These cities had a resting place for Travelers at regular intervals on the highways, at every Kaatham, about 16 Kilometers.
This may be seen on the road from Madurai to Srivilliputtur.
Each city , at the outskirts , had a small water tank meant for animals.
A stone column was erected for the animals to relieve their itching!
Such a civilization should have had great cities.
Many have sunk as in Lemuria where the Tamil Sangam 1 and 2 were held, in Then Madurai ( South Madurai and Kavatapuram)
We had Indraprastha now called Delhi,Pataliputra, now Patna
I had a look at some of the ancient cities of India which are to be discovered in full.
If people can look around places where tanks had been located with the satellite imagery they would find more cities.
Here is a List, which, of course, is not exhaustive.
I shall be writing on each of them in detail.
Readers may also contribute.
Dholavira – Located in Gujarat, India. Indus Valley Civilization city
Lothal – Located in Gujarat, India – early city of the Indus Valley Civilization
Surkotada – Located in Gujarat, India – early city of the Indus Valley Civilization
Pattadakal – Located in Karnataka, South India. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Vasai-Located in India, former capital (1533-1740) of the Northern Provinces of Portuguese India
Aror is located 8 kilometres east ofRohri in present daySindh, Pakistan. It had served as the ancient capital ofSindh and was oncelocated on the banks of Indus River. The city was once the prime nucleus centre of commerce and trade. The main languages spoken by the people are Hindi language, Urdu language, Punjabi language and Sindhilanguageand the religion followed were Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism.Kannauj
Kannauj was one of the most beautiful ancient cities in India that was ruled by different rulers. The city was described as a city which raised its head to the skies and which in strength and beauty might boast of being unrivalled. Kannauj has incessantly served as a place of immense historical significance. The city had, much later, become a new district of the Uttar Pradesh on September 18th, 1997.Bairat
Bairat is a much celebrated and momentous town in the northern Jaipur of Rajasthan. It is located 52 kilometres north of Jaipur and 66 kilometres west of Alwar.
Kalibangan
Kalibangan is a town situated in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. The town is precisely located upon the banks of Ghaggar River. This ancient city of India has been considered as the third important city amongst all the excavated Harappan sites, under the Indus valley civilization. The city had received its name from the innumerable pieces of terracotta bangles that were excavated here.
Sagala
Sagala is believed to be the modern day Sialkot, and it had once served as a great centre of trade and commerce, filled with business prospects.
Sitanagaram
Sitanagaram is a small and humble and ancient site located in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
Hansi is a town in theHisar district of Haryana. The ancient city ofHansi is known to possess five gates to enter Delhi. It majestically incorporate the Delhi Gate at the East,Hisar gate at the West,Gosain gate at North-West,Barsi Gate at South andUmra Gate in thesouth west direction.Kumbhoj
Kumbhoj is the name of an ancient town located in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.Kalpi
Kalpi is an ancient city of India, in Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh. Kalpi rather seizes stronghold from its sisterly counterparts, due to being conceived as the birthplace of sage Ved Vyas. The city of Kalpi is also renowned for its art of paper making.
Bhinmal
Bhinmal is a town in the Jalore district of Rajasthan. Bhinmal had once served as the capital of ancient Gujarat. The earlier name of Bhinmal was Bhillamala.
Tamralipta
Tamralipta is the name of another important ancient city of West Bengal. Now the place is however identified as Tamluk. Tamluk derives its name from the Sanskrit word Tamra Lipta meaning ‘full of copper’.
Urayur
Urayur is an ancient city located in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.
Dwaraka
Dwaraka is another ancient city situated in Gujarat. According to Hindu mythology, Dwaraka was the dwelling place of Lord Krishna. The meaning of the word Dwaraka is a ‘door’.
Ujjain
Ujjain is located on the banks of Shipra River in Madhya Pradesh. According to Hindu mythology, Shipra had originated from the much admired churning of the oceans by the Gods and the Demons, with Vasuki, the serpent, serving as the rope. Osiyan is another ancient city that is approximately located at a distance of 65 kilometres from Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The city houses a number of temples and is presently a famous tourist spot.
Bayana
Bayana is a town in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.
The ancient name of the city wasSripatha orSriprashtha orShantipura. The city is claimed to have been discovered rather accidentally by an asura namedBanasura.Chunar
Chunar is in the Mirzapur District of Uttar Pradesh.
The inmate relationship between Sanatana Dharma and Tamils is striking.
One has been misled into believing that The Tamils had ancestry that was inimical to Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma.
How wrong could this be!,
I have written through many articles including the one that Lord Rama’s ancestor was a Dravidian and he migrated to Ayodhya due a Tsunami in the South of India.
The ancestry of the two Tamil Dynasties goes back to Solar and Lunar Dynasties, That of Rama and Kauravas.
Please read my articles on this.
Sun Temple,Konarak,Odisha,India. Image credit.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konark_Sun_Temple#/media/File:Konark_Temple_Panorama2.jpgKoanarak SunDial. The wheels of the chariot are also symbolic and have been interpreted as the ‘Wheel of Life’. They portray the cycle of creation, preservation and achievement of realisation. The diameter of each of the wheels is about nine(2.73 metres) feet and each of them has a set eight equal parts. They are elaborately carved all over. The thicker ones are all carved with circular medallions at their centres on the widest part of the face. The axels of the wheels project by about one foot from the surface, having similar decorations at their ends. The rims are carved with designs of foliages with various birds and animals, whereas the medallions in the spokes are carved with the figures of women in various luxurious poses, mostly of erotic nature. These wheels may also possibly represent the twelve Zodiacs. (src: shreekhetra) – See more at: http://eodisha.org/amazing-odisha-accuracy-sundial-konark-sun-temple-built-1250-d-people-still-use-today-time-konark-sundial-suntemple-india/#sthash.YVHmT0Wb.dpuf
I am researching on the third Tamil King Dynasty, the Cheras and shall write shortly.
The Tamil Kings, Cholas and Pandyas were great Devotees of Shiva, Vishnu and Karthikeya, called as Murugan in Tamil Nadu.
A Chola King had built 101 Shiva Temples along the banks of River Kaveri.
The Big Temple at Thanjavur ,an architectural marvel was built by Rajaraja Chozhan
The special type of Vimanas of the temples in India is the contribution og the Tamils to Sanatana Dharma.
One of the great Temples of India, The Sun Temple at Konarak was built by a descendant of Kulothunga Chola I.
“Kulothunga Chola I was the grandson of Emperor Rajendra Chola I .As a Chola prince he conquered the Sri Vijaya provinceKedah on behalf of his maternal uncle Emperor Virarajendra Chola in the 11th century. As a Chola Prince he also conqueredBastar in modern Chhattisgarh
Scroll down for Konarak Video
‘Konark Sun Temple was built in Orissa by Chola prince who was daughter of Rajaraja and wife of Vimaladitya.
The Melakkadambur Shiva temple, built in the form of a chariot during the age of Kulottunga Chola I (1075-1120), is the earliest of this kind, and is still in a well preserved state. It is believed that this temple set the pace for the ratha (chariot) vimana temples in India, as a distant descendant of Kulottunga I on the female line, and thefamous Eastern Ganga ruler Narasimha Deva, built the Sun Temple at Konark in the form of a chariot in the 13th century. Kulottunga Chola is also credited with having built the Suryanaar temple near Kumbhakonam. Temples dedicated to the Sun are not a common feature in the Tamil speaking region of the Indian subcontinent..
Legend has it that Samba, the king of Krishna and Jambavati entered the bathing chamber of Krishna’s wifes, and was cursed by Krishna with leprosy. It was decreed that he would be relieved of the curse by worshipping the sun God on the sea coast north east of Puri. Accordingly Samba reached Konaditya Kshetra and discovered an image of Surya seated on the lotus, worshipped him and was relieved of his curse.
It is said that the temple was not completed as conceived because the foundation was not strong enough to bear the weight of the heavy dome. Local beleif has it that it was constructed in entirety, however its magnetic dome caused ships to crash near the seashore, and that the dome was removed and destroyed and that the image of the Sun God was taken to Puri.
The Temple: The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work. The entire temple has been conceived as a chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in diameter, with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings. Seven horses drag the temple. Two lions guard the entrance, crushing elephants. A flight of steps lead to the main entrance.
The nata mandir in front of the Jagamohana is also intricately carved. Around the base of the temple, and up the walls and roof, are carvings in the erotic style. There are images of animals, foliage, men, warriors on horses and other interesting patterns. There are three images of the Sun God, positioned to catch the rays of the sun at dawn, noon and sunset.
The MelakkadamburShiva temple, built in the form of a chariot during the age of Kulottunga Chola I (1075-1120), is the earliest of this kind, and is still in a well preserved state. It is believed that this temple set the pace for the ratha (chariot) vimana temples in India, as a distant descendant of Kulottunga I on the female line, and thefamous Eastern Ganga ruler NarasimhaDeva, built the Sun Temple at Konark in the form of a chariot in the 13th century. Kulottunga Chola is also credited with having built the Suryanaar temple near Kumbhakonam. Temples dedicated to the Sun are not a common feature in the Tamil speaking region of the Indian
The Konarak temple.
Konark is also known as Konaditya. The name Konark is derived form the words Kona – Corner and Arka – Sun; it is situated on the north eastern corner of Puri or the Chakrakshetra. Konark is also known as Arkakshetra.
The entire temple is made in the form of a chariot, which symbolizes the carrier of the Sun God. This chariot comprises of 12 magnificent wheels and is drawn by seven fine horses.
At the entrance of the temple, there are two huge sculptures that show two lions, which are crushing a huge elephant. The Konark Sun Temple, India, also includes a temple known as the Nata Mandir. There are exemplary floral and geometric carvings that adorn the precincts of the Konark Sun Temple, India. The temple continues to amaze the tourists who visit the temple each year. This temple, which worships the Sun God, has been appropriately designed to match the power and aura of the Sun.
The ruins of this temple were excavated in late 19th century. The tower over the Garbagriha is missing, however the Jagmohana is intact.
I have written that the Chinese are reported to have descended from the son of Pururava.
Shiva Linga, Ganesha Worship in China.
Mahabharata refers to this.
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The word/race of Chins as rulers of eastern and northern kingdoms is mentioned in Mahabharata too (composed around 3100 BCE).
Cinas of yellow color, are said to ‘look like a forest of Karnikaras”.
In the Arthashashtra of Chanakya, China is mentioned as well. It is theorized that the name China is based upon the name of the kingdom, Ch’in, which was established by Shih Huang Ti in year 221 BC.
However, the name China comes from an ancient Sanskrit name for “the regions to the East”.
The Chin Indians did not only name a great country but also created the Chinese nation.
Regardless of the origins of the Chinese, the evidence reveals that ancient Chinese culture was Vedic in nature.’
Chinese origins may be traced to two tribes .
One from Kashmir.
And another is from South India,what is now called as Tamil Nadu.
Shiva Nandi Carving in China.
The original Chin race of India dwelling in Kashmir, and several parts of South India colonized Shensi, a province of Central China and subsequently subjugated all other petty kingdoms and thus became the emperors of perhaps the one of the largest empires of the world.
The name China and the Chinese were after the Chins of India and hence the scholars are unanimous about the Indian origin of the name of China.
A Chinese source states that in 720 AD the Pallava King Narasimhavarman II constructed a temple (in Tamil Nadu, India) on account of the empire of China, and another text cites the existence of three Hindu temples in southern China where ‘Brahmans’ resided during the 8th century.
Shiva Carving in Quanzhou .
The temple in Quanzhou is now in ruins, but over 300 carvings are still within the city.
Many are currently on display in the Quanzhou museum, and some have become a part of Buddhist temple—Kaiyuan Temple.Behind its main hall “Mahavira Hall”, there are some columns decorated by some Hinduism carvings. The carvings are dispersed across five primary sites in Quanzhou and the neighboring areas.
They were made in the South Indian style, and share close similarities with 13th-century temples constructed in the Kaveri Delta region in Tamil Nadu.
Nearly all the carvings were carved with greenish-gray granite, which was widely available in the nearby hills and used in the region’s local architecture.
Poorly written/formatted tamil wordings on these carvings prove that those were done by a non-native tamilian in China.
“First, I would like to make it clear that the probable language of the Kushana was Tamil. According to Dravidian literature, the Kushana were called Kosars=Yakshas=Yueh chih/ Kushana. This literature maintains that when they entered India they either already spoke Tamil, or adopted the language upon settlement in India.
The Kushana and the Yueh chih were one and the same. In addition to
North Indian documents the Kushana-Yueh chih association are also
discussed in Dravidian literature. V Kanakasabhai, The Tamils Eighteen
hundred years ago, note that in the Sanskrit literature the Yueh chih were called Yakshas, Pali chroniclers called them Yakkos and Kosars< Kushana.”
They allegedely arrived in India during the 2nd century BC. He makes it clear that the Yueh chih/ Kushana as noted on their coins worshipped Siva as seen on the coins of Kanishka. This is why we have a coin of a Kushana king from Taxila, dated to AD 76 that declares that the king was maharaja rajatiraja devaputra Kushana “Great King, King of kings, Son of God, the Kushana”.
Vedic Presence in China.
The Vedic tradition has undoubtedly been best preserved in India yet the universality of Vedic culture is such that none can claim to be the sole inheritors or originators of the Vedic traditions.
These traditions are part of the basic fabric of nature and the universe and can be accessed by anyone anywhere at any time.
The same ‘eternal’ vedic tradition known as Santana Dharma is at the very core of Chinese civilization.
For example, Imperial Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) used the Hindu/Vedic calendar a long side with the Chinese calendar.
Amongst the Gods, the Lord of Death and the Underworld known in Vedas as Yama is called ‘Yanmo Wang’ within the Chinese tradition.
Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang (ruled 712–56) called upon the Indian monk Vajrabodhi (671–741) to perform ‘Tantric’ rites to avert a drought in the year 726 AD.
In the Fujiyan province, in the Xinmen area of Quanzhou, there are the remains of a Siva Temple.
It still has a Siva lingam over five meters tall.
An ancient stone that still stands today; it has been widely identified as a Siva Linga.
Chinese records reveal that it was cut in half in the year 1011 AD and then rebuilt in the 1400s.
Even as late as 1950, childless mothers would go to it to invoke the blessings of the deity for motherhood.
In Hsuan-wu, Lo-yang district there is a pillar with Sanskrit writings from top to bottom and right to left. Besides Buddhism, Saivism was also popular in Yunan as is manifest from the prevalence of the cult of Mahakala there.
This ancient Indian colony in the south of China was a strong link in the Sino-Indian cultural relationship.
Shiva Temple may have already been in existence, which is highly likely, and it is only the Deity of Lord Shiva that was new.
Shiva temple had originally been built in 685 AD during the Tang Dynasty but was rebuilt by the Tamil Hindu community in the city in the late 13th century who dedicated it to Lord Siva.
There is direct evidence of that there were indeed Hindu temples in China as early as the 6th century AD.
Arunachal Mountain, Pre Historic Conception.
Arunachala, Google Earth.’
Skanda Purana on Thiruvannamalai.
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